The ICA Global Conference in New Delhi, India, will provide a platform for cooperatives worldwide to come together, share knowledge, inspire each other, and engage in democratic and active participation. In 2024, the biannual gathering of the global cooperatives movement joining together more than 1,000 cooperators from around the globe, will be focused around the theme
Cooperatives Build Prosperity For All. The event will mark the official and global launch of the UN International Year of Cooperatives 2025. Conference activities will include 20 thematic plenaries and strategic parallel sessions, a tradeexposition, youth-centered “coopathon”, film screenings, the ICA General Assembly and meetings of ICA sectoral, regional and thematic bodies.
Location and Date
Venue: Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India.
Bharat Mandapam, officially known as the International Exhibition-cumConvention Centre (IECC), is a stateof-the-art facility located in New Delhi, India. It serves as a premier venue for international conferences, exhibitions,
and cultural events. It was the venue for the main events under India’s Presidency of the G20 in 2023. As for India’s vibrant capital, New Delhi, has a rich cultural heritage and scenery that makes it an exciting destination for visitors and conference attendees.
Date: November 25-30, 2024.
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Hosts and Sponsors
Hosts: The Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO), a long-standing ICA member since 1980, will host the conference, together with 17 other ICA member organisations in India. These entities collectively represent about 800,000 cooperatives and over 290 million cooperators.
Partners: The event is organised in collaboration with ICA Regional Offices, ICA Sectoral Organisations, along with our prized sponsors from different corners of the world.
“The event will mark the official and global launch of the UN International Year of Cooperatives 2025”
Conference Theme: Cooperatives Build Prosperity For All
This ICA Global Conference aims to promote cooperatives as people-centred, purpose-led institutions and inspire global cooperation. It will take place near the mid-way point towards 2030 and the UN Summit of the Future, focusing on cooperative enterprises and institutions as key partners in accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals.
The central theme will be discussed through four plenary sessions flanked by four parallel sessions each, and curated to develop an Action Agenda for Cooperatives to Accelerate the SDGs. The program will contain four main plenary sessions:
• Enabling Policy and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem – We want to create more space for the cooperative movement in society at large. We promote cooperatives to legislators, governments, international organisations and the public and highlight their capacity to address social and environmental issues via their unique business case.
• Reaffirming Cooperative Identity – We wish to deepen our understanding of the cooperative identity and ensure a proper updating of the Statement on the Cooperative Identity to address current challenges facing cooperatives around the world.
International Year of Cooperatives
The UN International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) is a global initiative to raise awareness about the cooperative business model and its contribution to social and economic development. It provides a platform for cooperatives worldwide to highlight their impact, promote cooperation among cooperatives, and advocate for the recognition of
the cooperative movement on an international scale. Through various events, activities, and campaigns, the IYC seeks to celebrate the achievements of cooperatives, foster partnerships, and create a legacy of cooperation for a better world.
• Nurturing Purposeful Leadership –We support young people, women and girls, and also high potential future leaders from within and outside the movement, so they can make the most of their potential. We want to build ambition and encourage learning for life, equipping everyone with the right skills for a changing world.
• Shaping a Just, Equal and Resilient Future – We recognise the need to tackle inequality and strengthen communities left behind in the global economy. By understanding local needs and engaging with vulnerable communities, we can help provide the changes they need for a stronger, more resilient future.
The theme for the 2024 ICA Global Conference, Cooperatives Build Prosperity for All, is inspired by the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) motto: “Peace, Progress, Prosperity,” and by the 5 Ps outlined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals: People, Peace, Planet, Partnership, and Prosperity. These goals perfectly align with the role that cooperatives have consistently played in adding value to the communities they operate in, strengthened by international cooperation among cooperatives fostered since the creation of the ICA in 1895, enduring through wars, conflict, and suffering.
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There will be a launch ceremony of the 2025 United Nations International Year of Cooperatives that will be held on the 25th of November. It is building off from the 2012 International Year of Cooperatives and on the reality that the cooperative movement is one of the few viable and living global social answers to building a more inclusive and sustainable economy that works for all.
“The UN International Year of Cooperatives is a global initiative to raise awareness about the cooperative business model”
Conference Speakers
In a spirit of collaboration our speakers share a journey of collective impact ...
... We will hear from UN officials and government representatives:
Antonio Guterres - United Nations Secretary-General
Tshering Tobgay - The Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bhutan
Aicha Errifaai - General Director of the Office of Cooperation Development in Morocco
Dr Ashish Kumar Bhutani - Secretary Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India
Simel Esim - Programme Manager at the Enterprises Department of the International Labour Office
Ilcheong Yi - Senior Research Coordinator at UNRISD
... and those who are leading the cooperative movement:
Ariel Guarco - ICA president & President of the Cooperative Confederation of the Argentine Republic (COOPERAR)
Udai Shankar Awasthi –Managing Director - IFFCO
Jeroen Douglas - DirectorGeneral - International Cooperative Alliance
... Uniting Forces for a Better Tomorrow:
Hagen Henry - Chairperson of ICA Law Committee; Adjunct Professor, Research Director at University of Helsinki
Howard Brodsky - the ICA Chair G20 engagement group, Co-founder & Chairman, CCA Global Partners
Doug O’Brien - President & CEO National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International
Francesca Ottolenghi - Chief of International Relations, Internationalization and Development Cooperation Legacoop Nazionale
Rose Marley - Chief Executive, Co-operatives UK
... Creating a voice where everyone belongs:
Kendra Faith Prestin - Member of the Aflatoun program of DCCCO Multi-Purpose Cooperative
Ana Aguirre - Co-founder and worker owner at TAZEBAEZ S.Coop
Mirai Chattarjee - Director of SEWA’s Social Security Team
Maria Eugenia Perez ZeaICA board member, Executive Director of Colombian Association of Cooperatives, Lawyer
Ameya Prabhu - the President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC); Founder and Managing Director of NAFA Capital Advisors Pvt. Ltd; Partner in UAP Advisors LLP
Sandra Uwera Murasa - Global Chief Executive Officer at Fairtrade International
... and Inspiring new Generations to take up the fight
Pete Westall - Chief Values Officer of Midcounties
Roeland Monasch - CEO of Aflatoun International
Alexandra WilsonChairperson of the Cooperative Identity Advisory Group
Satish Marathe - Cooperative representative to the Reserve Bank of India
Jelmer van de Mortel - Head of Acorn, Rabobank Cooperative
Trebor Scholz - Founding Director of The New School’s; Platform Cooperativism Consortium
The Programme in a nutshell
Global Launch of the UN-IYC 2025 and Opening of the ICA Global Conference “Cooperatives Build Prosperity for All” Opening of the Global Cooperative Haat Film Screening 15h-20h 26 November Plenary and Parallel Sessions Enabling Policy and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems; Nurturing Purposeful Leadership
Registration/Hotels/Visa
Join the global cooperative movement as we launch the UN International Year of Cooperatives 2025! Registration fees, visa process and hotel information can be found at the Conference website www.icanewdelhi2024.coop
Become a sponsor
Do you want to support the event? Become a sponsor and gain visibility at the biannual gathering of the global cooperative movement! More information at www.icanewdelhi2024.coop
Thanks to our hosts:
“Cooperatives Build Prosperity For All”
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ICA General Assembly
The General Assembly serves as a platform for ICA members and cooperative leaders to make strategic decisions that shape the direction and priorities of the cooperative movement. Cooperatives are invited to collectively advocate for policies and regulations that support
the growth and sustainability of the cooperative sector. The 2024 ICA General Assembly will be held on 29 November in the same venue of the Global Cooperative Conference, Bharat Mandapam building in New Delhi, India.
